Police rush to 999 call... by hopping on a bus

Police officers called to an alleged assault in south-west London rushed to the scene - by hopping on a bus.

The manager of a Morden bakery dialled 999 after a member of staff was attacked and allegedly racially abused by an irate customer.

But rather than see officers pull up in a squad car, the stunned manager watched as a team of officers arrived by public transport.

The woman apparently fled the scene, also by bus, before police arrived.

The incident took place at a branch of Greggs on Saturday, when a woman, believed to be in her sixties, was asked to leave the store but became aggressive and hit out at the bakery workers.

One worker was left with a cut to her face while others suffered minor injuries. Bakery manager Diana Homewood, 53, said: "She really got abusive and called my Saturday girl something I wouldn't like to repeat, so we banned her from the store.

"She poked my colleague in the face and smacked me in mine. We called 999. Within minutes police had arrived but we were shocked when we saw them getting off a bus. I know funding is tight, but that's ridiculous, I couldn't stop laughing."

A spokesman for the Met confirmed a woman in her sixties was being sought by officers in connection with the attack. He said: "A team of officers were dispatched and it may well be that they used public transport to get there or may have already been on the bus. If this was the quickest way to get to the scene of course they would have used it."

A spokesman for Greggs said police were called when the verbal abuse was followed by a physical attack on a number of employees. He added: "The customer is known to us and the matter continues to be investigated by the police."

He said staff at the shop had been shocked by the incident and the company had offered counselling.Officers are now reviewing CCTV footage of the incident.